IPL 2018: MS Dhoni pleased with CSK's 'dream comeback'

After a two year break, when Chennai Super Kings (CSK) stepped onto the field it was a bit hazy whether the franchise will be able to gain the lost charm but one will have to say, they were able to bring back the lost glory. Further, MS Dhoni and his troops are able to put a scintillating performance in the tournament so far which eventually has helped them to seal a spot for playoffs which is scheduled to start in a days time.

Speaking to the Sportstar, Harish Bijoor said that rejuvenation of team and love from its spectators has been possible because of its performance and MS Dhoni. He said,”A brand is about performance, and an IPL team brand, more so, is about performance greater, because at the end of the day it is about a championship and a league, where performances matter. CSK is a classic case of a team which, I would say, has returned from the dead.”

“The team died due to circumstances, or you could say, it died unnaturally, but the crux of the matter is, it died. Dhoni and CSK have an umbilical connect, which existed from day one,” he added.

Dhoni: The Pied Piper in the making

He further praised the beauty of the game which has been the pillar to CSK’s comeback and establishment. “The beauty of it is that when it comes to a sport like the IPL, the residual brand value is very high for teams. Fortunately, the team was not out of the league for more than two years, and in those two years, the team was missed. In fact, a large portion of the followers of Dhoni actually went with him to the new team (Rising Pune Supergiant) he belonged to. Now that he is back again, the fan following is back with CSK.”

But then, Bijoor also believes that the biggest plus for CSK has been its ability to develop sub-nationalism branding. “Among all the teams at the IPL, CSK has been the team which have focused on micro-marketing. They have done a beautiful job in terms of fan followership, investing in all the brand cue that is necessary — right from bringing the colour yellow, deepening the colour yellow, showcasing some of the team-members, investing in whistle podu, and investing in, what I would call, sub-nationalism branding,” Bijoor says.

“Theoretically I would say, sub-nationalism is now larger than national cricket, where it is India versus the rest. With teams like CSK, Royal Challengers Bangalore, possibly to an extent, Kolkata Knight Riders — the sub-nationalism overrides nationalism in a big way. I think CSK has contributed to sub-nationalism branding,” he concluded.

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